Forbes caught up with Mraz on the eve of Gratitude's launch, polling the pop star on his childhood eating habits (fast food) and at-home vegetable farm (he takes it very seriously). Read on to hear how Mraz attributes "being weird out in the country" to his international success.

Jason Mraz and his wife, chef Christina Carano, on their farm in San Diego.

In addition to investing in Cafe Gratitude, you live on a farm. When did you become so interested in food?

I grew up on fast food. My parents were divorced... So, even though my mom would always make dinner, I spent most of my time with my dad. He'd pick up different fast food for dinner every night. And now that my dad is in his mid-60’s, he, unsurprisingly, doesn’t have the best health. He’s getting ready to have surgery; he’s limited in what he can do... My dad wouldn't be in this situation if we'd had better options and education around food. That’s what motivates me: educating other families on how to be healthier.

How did you start injecting elements of health into your rockstar lifestyle?

It started on accident, to be honest. In 2004, I bought a house in San Diego that just so happened to have an avocado farm on the property. I didn't want to farm — I still ate fast food, drank beer and smoked cigarettes. I just wanted to be weird out in the country... I didn't intend to become a farmer.

Mraz's San Diego property.

How did that eventually led to farming?

As a homeowner, you begin to notice your waste... the impact you have on the land. So, my roommates at the time and I decided to start a small garden in 2006. And each season, our garden would get a little bigger. What started as this small patch of leafy greens, tomatoes and peppers is now huge. My wife, Christina, and I look after 1,000 avocado trees, 2,300 coffee trees and another 300 tropical fruit trees. [Laughs] I'm basically a full-time farmer who records music on the side.

Rumor has it your first foray into composting didn't go so well...

[Laughs] People in California love to compost. One of my friends recommended I start, telling me, "Take all your kitchen scraps, and put them in a big pile in your backyard." No one thought to tell the chain-smoking musician the food has to break down first and turn into soil. So, I would literally throw leftovers in the garden. And then one day my roommate comes in and says, "Who threw a pizza in the garden?" Let's call it a learning moment.

Mraz also works the farm for Gratitude.

Tell us about Cafe Gratitude. You're an investor; you're a major PR force. When did you get involved?

My former roommate, an artist by the name of Jon Marro, relocated to San Francisco in 2007. I offered to help him move, and while I was there he said, “You’ve got to try this place called Cafe Gratitude. It’s not just their food; it’s also the way they’re communicating with their guests and the community.” This was around the time I stopped smoking cigarettes, started cooking my own food. My home garden was about a year old. I was starting to pay attention to what I put in my body, and Cafe Gratitude facilitated that. That’s what drew me in — that everything tastes great is just icing on the cake. Then I begged for years to get involved before they reached out to me to invest in the Larchmont location.

You mentioned Cafe Gratitude had a strong impact on your music. How so?

At the start, my music was based in ego — trying to look cool, trying to get girls. But my new lifestyle enabled me to accept myself... and those ideals found their way into my music. My new songs are almost like affirmations — which, if you've ever been to Cafe Gratitude, you'll know are big there. When I sing my songs, I feel better. And I hope the people who hear them feel better, the same way Cafe Gratitude hopes its diners feel better after eating.

And do you think this new style of music is better?

Let me put it this way: I referenced Cafe Gratitude in a song called "Make It Mine" — the opening track of my third album — and it won a Grammy. [Laughs] But seriously: I feel like joining the Cafe Gratitude family — and the lifestyle that came with it — improved my music. It's no coincidence this was the same time my s*** went from national to global success. I truly credit that to Cafe Gratitude. That's why I named that tour the Gratitude Tour!

As a final thought, what's the one lesson you hope to convey with this article?

Both the Gratitude family and I want to create a model for everyone else in our area of Southern California. When growing gets tough — like in a drought — you can't just turn off your water. You can't kill your trees. You need to figure out what you can grow in your new conditions. When lemons became difficult to grow 40 years ago, people switched to avocados. So, maybe now it's time to ditch avocados. I know I'm in the process of trading avocado trees for coffee trees on my property. As farmers, it's our job to listen to the land... to find another alternative. And I think that alternative is coffee; coffee is the new wine in California.

Gratitude is located at 1617 Westcliff Drive in Newport Beach, California. Call 949-386-8103 for reservations and takeout.

Emily Siegel is writer whose work has appeared in Maxim, Nylon, Man Repeller and more. She previously worked advertising, writing for a range of fashion, beauty and dining clients.